Australia Day
A national day is a day which has significant importance to a nation and is celebrated throughout the nation. These days are usually associated with the nationhood of a nation, the day it became a new state or territory. However, Australia Day is celebrated on January 26, marking the day that Captain Arthur Philips landed in Sydney in 1788. When Captain Philips and 11 convict ships landed in Sydney they immediately started taking over land that was already inhibited by Indigenous people. Forcing the indigenous people to move out or be killed. The white settlers, form Great Britain, used the land to put convicts. The convicts began making colonies and by 1818, the thirteenth anniversary of the landing, Governor Lachlan Macquarie started
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January 26 is mourned by the Aboriginal and Indigenous culture, as Invasion or Survival Day. This day ‘celebrates’ the massive genocide and disposition of indigenous people who inhabited the land long before the arrival Captain Philip. Australian politics neglect to see the side of the Indigenous people on this day. White Australians use the word ‘celebrate’ for Australia Day because it is a more positive word. (WEBSITE SBS). From an outsiders perspective the idea that the national day, a day to appreciate the history of the nation and to look ahead to future and progression, celebrates the arrival of white settlers who took over the land, leads to believe that Australis is progressing to be a white nation. Especially since the Aboriginal and Indigenous culture is left out.
Today, Australia day is not celebrated the same though the country. Some cultures, as stated before, like the Indigenous culture have even renamed the day as Survival or Invasion Day. A national day is meant to unify a nation and be celebrated through the nation not a day to mourn. “no new nation was created on January 26 only a penal colony, a ‘disreputable’ even in which Australians, as Australians, took no part (Spillman 1997,p.3).” Ch 5
The day which should be celebrated as Australia day is January 1 1901. The day Australia was formally established as a nation. The 26 is an offensive day to Aboriginal and Indigenous culture but the 1st is the day that Australia became a nation not a “penal colony” and can be celebrated by all Australian cultures and unite the
January 26 is mourned by the Aboriginal and Indigenous culture, as Invasion or Survival Day. This day ‘celebrates’ the massive genocide and disposition of indigenous people who inhabited the land long before the arrival Captain Philip. Australian politics neglect to see the side of the Indigenous people on this day. White Australians use the word ‘celebrate’ for Australia Day because it is a more positive word. (WEBSITE SBS). From an outsiders perspective the idea that the national day, a day to appreciate the history of the nation and to look ahead to future and progression, celebrates the arrival of white settlers who took over the land, leads to believe that Australis is progressing to be a white nation. Especially since the Aboriginal and Indigenous culture is left out.
Today, Australia day is not celebrated the same though the country. Some cultures, as stated before, like the Indigenous culture have even renamed the day as Survival or Invasion Day. A national day is meant to unify a nation and be celebrated through the nation not a day to mourn. “no new nation was created on January 26 only a penal colony, a ‘disreputable’ even in which Australians, as Australians, took no part (Spillman 1997,p.3).” Ch 5
The day which should be celebrated as Australia day is January 1 1901. The day Australia was formally established as a nation. The 26 is an offensive day to Aboriginal and Indigenous culture but the 1st is the day that Australia became a nation not a “penal colony” and can be celebrated by all Australian cultures and unite the